2011 Built Green Conference and Festival

Last Chance to Register!
Sept 14, Issaquah

The Built Green Conference & Festival is coming up quick! Enjoy local food-truck vendors for lunch, zHome tours and educational sessions on Site and Water Opportunities, Green Apraisal, and Multifamily and Remodel case studies! Register at BuiltGreenConference.com today!

Featured Project

View the case study here.

Howland-Ichijo USA - Seattle, WA
Project: zHome

zHome is a collaborative effort of organizations and companies that aim to revolutionize the way production homes are developed and represents a radical acceleration of sustainable housing. The zHome team, including the city of Issaquah, Puget Sound Energy, King County, Built Green, the WSU Energy Extension and Port Blakely Communities, along with builder Howland-Ichijo USA, has spent years of dedicated work to bring this project to fruition. It is not just the highest scoring Built Green project ever, it the first zero-energy multi-unit housing complex in the country. It sets the template for what the future of housing can look like. It shows that completing true zero-energy developments is not just possible but realistic and imperative in reducing our environmental and climate impacts.

The 10-unit townhome development designed by David Vandervort Architects uses smart design and cutting-edge technologies to radically reduce its environmental impacts. zHome will use zero energy on a net annual basis, use 60 percent less water, emit net-zero carbon emissions, use FSC certified wood for 90 percent of all wood products and document the extensive use of locally source materials and recycled content materials.

Some of the many green features of the project include:

Site and Water Protection

• 1,100 to 1,700-gallon underground cisterns for every unit
• Collects rainwater to be used for toilet flushing and clothes washers as well as exterior irrigation
• At least 60 percent total runoff reduction
• Built in Issaquah Highlands, a Built Green-Certified community
• First EPA Watersense-certified and Salmon Safe-certified homes in the state
• Site plan includes extensive community design features promoting neighbor interaction and interconnectivity with YWCA community next door
• Woonerf separates vehicle from pedestrian access and provides one parking space per unit
• zHome site is located only 100 yards from the Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride/Transportation hub
• Green roof installed on community shed
• Pervious materials used for at least 1/3 of hardscapes on the site
• No turf grass on site
• Native Mahonia, sword fern, vine maple, dogwood and bunch grasses installed as landscaping
• No garbage disposals installed, food waste collected by city
• Dual flush toilets installed throughout homes, along with 1.5 GPM bathroom faucets

Energy Efficiency

• Home designed and built to use zero energy on a net annual basis
• Extensive Solar PV system will provide 100 percent of energy-use needs, including lighting, home heating and appliances
• Vertically drilled geothermal wells are part of energy efficiency equation
• WaterFurnace heat pumps provide combined heating and hot water systems
• Innovative stick framing nets R-34 insulation for walls
• HRV system installed for heat recovery and as whole house fan
• Compact fluorescent lighting used for 100 percent of lighting needs
• Installed Energy Star best-in-class refrigerator, induction cooktop, dishwasher and washing machine
• Enrolled in Puget Sound Energy's renewables program for times when homes are drawing electricity
• Homes also certified through Northwest Energy Star Homes

Indoor Air Quality

• Whole home radiant heating system reduces dust throughout home
• No carpet installed in home
• Extensive documentation on low-VOC wet finishes for all applications, including adhesives, sealers, caulks, paints and wood finishes
• Garage effectively separated from homes
• Installed rain-screen siding system with 3/4 inch air gap to reduce likelihood of mold
• Envelope inspected at pre-installation by qualified professional
• Installed dimpled drain mat on below-grade walls
• Crawl space, attic and garage tested for disconnection to living space
• Installed cabinets and trim with no added urea-formaldehyde
• HRV provides a whole home ventilation system
• Built-in walk off mats outside each main entrance
• Shoe storage area at both front door and garage entry to home

Material Use

• 91-percent total-construction waste recycling rate achieved
• Over 90 percent of all wood used in project, including framing lumber, beams, decking, fencing and cabinetry is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
• FSC softwoods, including framing lumber and beams, were Oregon sourced
• FSC-certified cabinet order resulted in Sheldon's Cabinetry becoming an FSC-certified shop
• Installed locally sourced roofing, siding, concrete, drywall, cabinets and sheathing
• Installed finger-jointed FSC-certified trim
• Installed a total of 12 items using recycled content
• Used 30 percent fly ash mix in poured concrete
• Used 53 percent recycled content drywall (the highest available)
• Used rapidly renewable Plyboo bamboo flooring for 90 percent of flooring area
• Finished concrete as flooring on first floor to reduce overall materials
• Installed recycled-content Caesarstone countertops
• Siding used is locally sourced product with 50-year warranty
• Provided built-in recycling center

Photos courtesy of Brad Liljequist.

To see other previously featured virtual tours, click here.

MBA & BG News

Seeking Built Green Intern!
Built Green is seeking an intern (preference will be given to students) interested in gaining experience for a career in green building and sustainability and who possesses strong research, writing and computer skills. The work will concentrate on membership communication; website and social media monitoring; administrative support; research and data collection; and other larger projects as suits the candidate's interests. For more information, please click here. Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

New Members

Are you a Built Green member and a member of the Master Builders Association? Then your company is designated with a small green tree on the Master Builders Association website as a Built Green member. Your company is also listed on the Built Green website.

Welcome to our newest member companies!

Afora Group LLC
(425) 512-0736 in Mukilteo

Aqueous Solutions Inc
(206) 812-1851 in Tukwila

At Foam
(425) 999-5699 in Renton

Build Sound LLC
(206) 285-1243 in Seattle

N & R Construction LLC
(425) 918-1380 in Lynnwood

Noble Ridge Construction Inc
(206) 391-0498 in Kirkland

Rod Nicholas Finishing Touch Inc
(425) 486-9030 in Bothell

Soil Freeze Inc
(206) 420-2759 in Seattle

Stanbrooke Custom Homes
(253) 345-5057 in Fife

Member News

Puget Sound Business Journal Selects Jason Legat as 40 Under 40 Honoree
Jason Legat, founder of MODELREMODEL, was selected by The Puget Sound Business Journal as one of its 2011 “40 Under 40” honorees. Jason and the other recipients will be profiled in the publication's September 9 special edition and honored at an event later that week at The Showbox Sodo.

Jason's staff and crew consider him a visionary leader who took time during this deep recession to learn and teach about eco-building practices, while partnering with architects who deliver 21st-century green homes.

MODELREMODEL, LLC is a Seattle-based, full-service building contractor. They deliver premium craftsmanship combined with best practices, outstanding customer service, a commitment to the highest construction standards and a built-to-last philosophy. Named the 2010 The Built Green Remodeler of the Year, they are dedicated to protecting the natural environment and enhancing the value of our neighborhoods one project at a time.

New Certifications

Congratulations to:

JRJ Development for certifying their five new single-family homes at 6106 37th Ave NW, 3616 NW 61st St, 6103, 6105 and 6109 36th Ave NW in Seattle as 4-star Built Green.

Greenleaf Construction for certifying their new single-family home at1706 26th Ave in Seattle as 3-star Built Green.

Meriweather Wilson for certifying their single-family remodel project at 3937 SW Austin St in Seattle as 3-star Built Green.

Trends & Numbers

Monthly green-certified home sales statistics have been provided by Ben Kaufman of GreenWorks Realty from their ECert Report. The data covers King County and Seattle and compares homes with an environmental certification to those without based on sales price, square footage and time-on-market differences for homes built 2007 and later. The environmental certifications include Built Green, Northwest Energy Star Homes and LEED for Homes. The predominate certification in the region and in the report is Built Green.

Historic data shows certified homes in King County and Seattle sell at a higher price, are smaller in size and, in some instances, sell in shorter market time. The data represents a clear snapshot of the metropolitan green-home marketplace and has been referred to in studies and reports across the country and internationally.

From Ben: "Of note this month, we ran numbers for single-family residential homes in Seattle marketed as 3rd Party Certified. These are mostly 4- and 5-star Built Green homes. I compared sales over a two-year period of these deeper-green new homes to new homes sold without a green certification. The results were startling. The deeper green market segment was small, only 7.5 percent of the market. However, buyers paid impressive premiums for this green segment. Third party certified homes sold for a remarkable $111,000 more (30.5 percent more). They were slightly larger in size (about 69 square feet). Even with the large price premium the deeper green homes still sold in 10 percent less time. This begs the question, why are more builders not building and certifying 3rd party certified homes?"

GreenWorks Realty broker Ben Kaufman compiles the ECert Report based on Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) sales data. Visit the ECert Report for more information.

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Events

10x10x10
Sept 10, Kenmore
Come watch your favorite architects and builders showcase their deep-green construction projects as they quickly show you behind the scenes accounts of their successes, lessons or surprises with each 10-minute 10-slide PowerPoint presentation. In celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the International Women's Day, we are highlighting remarkable projects by top women green-building professionals.

Seattle Greendrinks
Sept 13, Seattle
Founded in 2003, Seattle Greendrinks' main event remains a monthly informal social-networking gathering. This gathering remains the core of Seattle Greendrinks' work, and all are welcome to join us the second Tuesday of every month starting around 5:30 p.m. The goal of our group is pretty simple: to create a space that fosters connections and good times shared among people working in (or interested in) environmental and sustainability issues.

Second Use's Fall Festival
Sept. 17, Seattle
Come join Second Use Building Materials' Annual Fall Festival, complete with food, games, music, salvage art contest, sales and horseback rides! For more info, contact Elena Velkov at (206) 763-6929, extention 13 or by email.

Spokane Green and Solar Home Tour
Sept 18, Spokane
Spokane 2011 Green and Solar Home Tour: A selection of homes around the Spokane area that have sustainable features, from simple remodels to LEED for Homes Platinum.

Transformational Lecture Series featuring Stephen Kellert
Sept 21, Seattle
Nature, human development and design of the built environment.

Sustainable Sites: Practical Soil Protection & Restoration
Sept 27, Seattle
This seminar will prepare design, construction and landscape professionals to meet the Sustainable Sites Initiative's (SITES™) soil standards as well as Washington's required Post-Construction Soil Best Management Practices, which the SITES requirements are modeled on. Effective soil protection starts early in planning and doesn't stop with best intentions. After an introduction to soil functions and ecosystems, we'll discuss best practices in soil protection and restoration, the soil management plan, materials selection and writing effective specifications. We'll discuss construction strategies for both large and small sites — sequencing, equipment and coordinating on-site teams, as well as ongoing practices for soil regeneration.

South Sound Solar Tour
Oct 1, Olympia
The South Sound Chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will be presenting the 17th Annual ASES National Solar Tour!

Science & Practice of Sustainable Sites: Watering without Waste
Oct 4, Seattle
This two-hour session will provide an irrigation technical overview and prepare professionals for the requirements of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES™). The instructors lead you through the water conservation prerequisites and credits, as well as strategic approaches that support SITES' multiple objectives. Planning for plant establishment, life-cycle and ongoing maintenance involves good communication and documentation. We'll explore irrigation efficiency; materials; the influence of maintenance on design; the appropriate use of drip systems and temporary irrigation,; and weaning off supplemental water.

14th Annual Northwest EcoBuilding Guild Member Retreat: EcoBuilding 2011 - Buildling Toward the Future: The Best in Green Design and Construction
Oct. 21 to 23, Port Orchard
Alex Wilson, keynote speaker and founder of BuildingGreen, Inc. in Brattleboro, Vermont and executive editor of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec Product Directory, will address resilient design. Building on his work with "passive survivability" over the past six years, this shift to "resilience" aims to expand the dialog among all sectors of society, including the design and construction community, policy makers, insurance companies and other businesses.
Registration and program information can be found at www.ecobuilding.org. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Sandra Fugate at (360) 352-7909 or by email.

Classes

Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.

Introduction to Built Green®
Oct. 11 MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This class will provide an introduction to the Built Green program. Learn how to certify a project, use the checklist, join, navigate the program and take advantage of our other resources. It also presents examples of Built Green projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation costs $30 and is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. Register here.

Healthy Home Training for Building Professionals
Sept 22, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
This eight-week course is designed to provide in-depth and best-practices information on sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient building techniques. The class will explain indoor air quality guidelines, techniques and proper maintenance for residential construction and remodel. Extensive resources, materials and qualitative data will be provided, which can be directly applied to daily practices. Context within several green-building programs will also be provided.

All topics address the impacts associated with the practical applications of healthy building techniques. Classes are taught by national and regional experts in the field. Attendees will learn healthy construction techniques, visit a model healthy home and gain greater under-standing of the benefits of indoor air quality to better meet their customers' needs. Register here.

Multifamily Housing: Benchmark Energy Performance Using EPA's ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager
Sept. 14, online
In this training, you will learn how the Enviromental Protection Agency's (EPA) Portfolio Manager can help you evaluate the energy performance of multifamily buildings you own or manage. From a portfolio perspective, Portfolio Manager will provide valuable information for making decisions regarding investments in energy and water efficiency, developing energy management plans and measuring improvement over time.

Stormwater BMPs for Construction (CESCL) and Recertification Course
Sept 15 and 27, AGC Office, Fife
These training courses teach contractors current techniques for successfully managing erosion and sediment at construction sites. In addition, the newest information on complying with federal, state and local regulatory requirements for stormwater is presented in an easy to understand format. Participants completing this class will receive certification or recertification as erosion and sediment control leads for the Washington State Department of Ecology. Register here.

Live with David Johnston Podcast
Sept. 19, Seattle
Get your questions answered by the one of the pioneers of the sustainability movement in the US. For the last 30 years David has been working to transform the building industry to become greener and more sustainable. He uses his vision and his talent to make the world a more sustainable place for the generations to come. For additional details and to register to join the audience, please email Gretchen or call 425-644-5355.

Rain Garden Workshop
Sept 24, Everett
Learn how to build your own rain garden to help soak up rainwater from downspouts, driveways and sidewalks while protecting our local waterways. Advanced registration is required. Call (206) 292-9875 or e-mail sg@stewardshippartners.org for more information.

Energy Auditing Fundamentals Online Seminar
Sept 26, online
This seminar covers all of the fundamental components of a complete, effective-energy audit. For more information, click here.

REGreen Residential Remodeling Guidelines
Sept 30, Seattle
If you're looking to distinguish yourself as a green residential remodeling professional, REGREEN is for you. This full-day workshop builds on foundational knowledge of the REGREEN Residential Remodeling Guidelines and available online courses and will assist you in identifying and evaluating which green considerations, concepts and strategies will make a meaningful and positive impact on your next project.

Building, Marketing, Financing and Appraising Green Construction
Oct 18, Bremerton
McGraw-Hill projects that there will be between $96 Billion and $140 Billion in green construction by 2013. This class provides an excellent overview about all aspects of green construction from design and site location to finish materials, using real-life examples from an award-winning green demonstration home. The course also covers ways to market green and the latest on financing and appraising green homes.

Built Green is now on Twitter! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @built_green. It's a great way to network and keep up to date on Built Green, local events and the green building industry!

Our Program Director Aaron Adelstein is also on Twitter now @aadelstein.

Master Builders Association
335 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
P: (425) 460-8238
F: (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com
www.builtgreen.net

Master Builders Association Calendar of Events
If you have news items for this newsletter, please send us an email. Click here for Directions to the Master Builders Association.